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Many of you have requested information on how to find Freddy books. The following is an article by Lee Secrest, former president of the FOF and resident expert on the procuring and care of our favorite books.
This article was originally printed in the Bean
Home Newsletter Vol. 6 No. 3.
In the aftermath of the May 22nd New York Times Book Review article and the subsequent deluge of mail, Connie Arnold, our harried but lovable Secretary/Treasurer, asked me to write a piece on how to obtain Freddy books in answer to the many inquiries.
For years, the only two titles I owned were those I received as a Christmas present back in 1960. When I was growing up, I never had enough money to buy the books, so I satisfied myself with the well-stocked shelves of the public library in Arlington, Virginia.
My financial situation had improved somewhat by the mid-1970's, but when I walked in B. Dalton's to order the entire set, I was shocked to learn that only 3 or 4 of the titles were still in print.
A few weeks later, I drove past a store with a huge sign out front proclaiming "Out of Print Books." I went in, explained my dilemma to the proprietor, and gave him a list of the Freddy titles I needed. On my way out, I remember asking him if I could stop by the following Wednesday to pick them up!
All this, simply to say that no one was as naïve or knew less than I did when I began collecting almost 20 years ago. I never did get a quote from that first out-of-print bookstore I visited, but I've learned a lot from experience, and maybe I can share a few short-cuts I've picked up along the way.
My first suggestion would be to establish a good relationship with your hometown out-of-print book dealers. Visit them often. Let them know how serious you are.
Dealers have people coming into their shops every day offering to sell long-forgotten books left behind by their grown children. Some of these might be Freddy books, and if your dealer knows that you're interested, he will buy them more readily.
Try to buy everything you are quoted. This builds rapport and establishes your credibility with the dealer. The people who get the first quotes are those who consistently buy when quoted. If you end up with duplicate titles, great. You now have something to trade with other collectors or those just getting started.
Patronize the dealers who help you! You will quickly differentiate between the dealers who consistently offer their books at fair market price and those who begin to creep up in price with each quote.
A note of caution: dealers have to pay what their sources charge, and from time to time there will be a fluctuation in their quotes. This is reasonable. What I'm referring to above is the small percentage of dealers who end up quoting books at 3 to 4 times market value. They are easy to spot and their numbers are few...but growing. Avoid them at all cost!
I keep a record of every book I buy, the date purchased, from who, and the price paid. This enables me to determine, on a week-to-week basis, the current fair market value of each category. So if you are quoted a price that seems too high, feel free to call me at 404-633-0743, and I'll be glad to verify its fair market value 'range." Tip # 1: CONDITION is the primary factor in determining value.
An often overlooked method of increasing your collection is the establishment of relationships with other collectors. Since the first of this year, for example, I have mailed out 47 books in trade to other Freddy collectors.
Each of us is motivated by different things. If you are interested in building a complete set of "reading copies" (ex-library books, trade paperbacks, etc.), find a collector to whom dust jackets are important and negotiate a multiple trade for your dust-jacketed copies. If 1st Editions are important to you, the be willing to trade a couple of later printings. You will be amazed at how fast your collection will grow!
Networking with other children's series collectors (Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, etc.) is also beneficial. Have them 'scout' for Freddy books while searching out their own interests... and do the same for them.
Contact your local Goodwill office, the local alumni association for Brandeis University, and the local chapter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW). Each of these organizations has a huge used book sale in most major cities at different times throughout the year. Their books are separated into categories, which makes it easy to zero in on the Children's or Juveniles' section. Tip #2: Be early! Be the first in line or among the first to step over the rope at the given time, because anything of value will be snatched up within the first five minutes of the sale.
You must be aggressive, because you will be competing with used book dealers and other savvy book collectors. The first few minutes can be challenging, but if you move quickly and keep your sense of humor, you'll do fine!
Another good idea is to join the "Friends of the Library" in your local area. The annual fee is usually $5.00, and this permits you to attend the "members only" preview book sale the day before the general public is allowed in. Again, be early because the line forms well in advance of the preview opening, and the most desirable books will be gone within minutes.
Check to see if other libraries in your area have a "Friends" program and book sale. I belong to four separate organizations here in Atlanta.
Do you go out of town on business or vacation? Set aside some time to visit a few out-of-print bookstores at your destination. An easy way to locate them is by checking the Yellow Pages under the heading "Book Dealers, Used and Rare."
Many dealers will offer to "search" for a particular book at a nominal cost for the service, plus the price of the book, if found. This tends to be more expensive than other methods I have mentioned. And you certainly don't want to have more than one dealer doing a search simultaneously because this creates an artificial "hot spot" of demand.
Most dealers advertise for books in one national publication. Consequently, if you have several dealers searching for Freddy books, and they all advertise in the same publication, a false sense of demand is created and the prices go sky high!
Tip # 3: If you decide to initiate a book search, and ex-library, paperbacks, and re-issues are satisfactory, tell the dealer to specify this in his ad. You'll get a better response, since these books are easier to find than collectable copies. They are also less expensive.
Of course the BEST place to find Freddy books is at a Friends of Freddy Convention! You will see more Freddy books in one place than anywhere else in the world!
If I were asked to distill this entire article into two words, I would say Patience and Persistence. Think in terms of planting seeds. Although many won't take root, a few will sprout, and these are the ones you want to carefully cultivate with your patronage.
Good luck in your search!